In Your Shoes
by GirlNextDoor
Summary: Clark and Chloe aren't feeling themselves, but what caused it? Their questions seem to be answered when they discover a man in Metropolis who may be able to help them, but is it all that simple? Completed!
1. Default Chapter

In Your Shoes

Prologue

Clark slowly opened his eyes, letting the bright morning light in. No. It's too early. Want to sleep. Go away, Mom.

"Chloe?" He heard his mother say. "Wh-what are you doing?"

Chloe? What _was_ Chloe doing here? And this early in the morning?

He blinked to clear his eyes. Martha Kent was staring straight at him, looking slightly confused and annoyed.

_Oh no. Please, no. Please don't pull the blankets off again. It's so cold. I wish I'd slept in something more than my boxers._

"Mom, no." He said. "Not in the holidays. I'll get up… later." Clark started a little when he spoke. His voice sounded oddly high, but in the end, he put it down to sleep deprivation.

"Chloe, honey," Martha knelt down beside the bed. "You're at the Kent's'."

_She's staring straight at me. Where's Chloe? I thought she was talking to Chloe? She called me Chloe. Wait. Oh my god…_

Clark moved his hand on his stomach. It felt flat and strangely soft. Dreading what he might find, he warily allowed his hand to drift north of his stomach.

Jonathan jumped up out of his seat when he heard a shrill scream coming from upstairs. He ran up the stairs two at a time, dashing in the door of Clark's room. Martha was standing, shocked, in the middle of the room.

"What is it?" Jonathan asked anxiously. "Why did you scream?"

"It wasn't me, Jonathan…" Martha trailed off, and moved aside to reveal an incredibly shocked, confused and basically terrified Chloe sitting up in Clark's bed, apparently naked, or topless at least, holding the sheets up around her chest.

"Chloe! What are you doing here?" Jonathan asked in shock, moving over and joining Martha beside the bed, awaiting an explanation.

Clark was too terrified to bother about breaking it gently to his parents. The shock had set in, and he was trembling.

"Mom! Dad! It's me, Clark! I don't know how this happened! How did this happen?" His words came in a rush, Chloe's voice startling him as it came out of his mouth. He was hyperventilating.

His Mom and Dad just stared at him, at a loss for words.

"From outer space." He said, confirming his true identity.

Martha took a shaky breath, on the verge of tears, for now she knew for sure that this was her son.

"C-Clark!" She whispered. Jonathan just stared at him, dumbstruck.

Martha leaned forward to embrace him, crying fully now. Clark was about to accept the gesture, when he remembered the purpose of the sheets bunched up at his chest. Martha caught on, and stood up, trying to disguise the lingering element of shock on her face, but failing.

'I-I'll get you some clothes… Clark." She stammered uneasily, and hurried away into her bedroom to pick and outfit for her 'son', leaving Clark alone with Jonathan, who was still staring stupidly at him.


	2. Chapter One Masquerade

Chapter One - Masquerade

Clark slowly walked down the stairs, taking them carefully, one at a time, getting used to walking in his new body.

When he came into the kitchen, he was suddenly very self-conscious, even though, by now he should have known that his parents would support and stand by him no matter what happened to him. Still, that didn't stop the unpleasant mix of terror and embarrassment creeping through his dainty little body.

"Clark." Jonathan said as he entered the room. "How do you feel…?" Clark noticed that he couldn't quite bring himself to say 'son'.

"Small." He answered honestly, seating himself at the kitchen table with his parents. He hoped they didn't notice that he had been crying. Chloe's tear ducts seemed to be more active than his own.

A loud knock sounded at the door, and Clark drew in a sharp breath. What was he going to do _now?_

Jonathan leaned back in his chair to look out the window. Chloe's red VW Beetle was parked in the Kent's driveway.

"It's Chloe." He said, and Clark uneasily got up to answer the door.

He pulled it open, and gasped. He had never gasped before in his life, but it just seemed to fit.

There was his body, standing on the front porch, shivering, and with a very strange expression on his face.

And if that wasn't weird enough, he was also holding a tiny fluffy pink bathrobe tight around himself, and the hem of a little frilly nightie was visible out the bottom, stretched out of shape.

"Do you know _anything_ about this?" He asked

"C-Chloe?" Clark gaped, shocked, although also highly disturbed, and if he was honest, quite embarrassed at the image of himself wearing a pink dressing gown, stretched tight across his torso. He didn't want his parents to see 'him' like this, (especially considering the gown only just reached his knees, and the nightie even less) but he knew he had to invite Chloe in before anyone else saw.

She hurried inside, and Clark shut the door behind them.

"What are you wearing?" Was all he could bring himself to say. He knew it sounded insensitive, but even though Chloe may not have noticed them yet, Clark was full aware of his Mom and Dad, staring open mouthed at his body, only just clad in tight pink frills and fur.

"It's the only thing I had that even came close to fitting you!" She said defensively. "And you'd better be glad they didn't have it in my size when I bought it!"

"C-Clark, I think you'd better get Chloe some clothes." Martha suggested, calling Chloe's attention to the kitchen. She suddenly felt extremely embarrassed. She had thought they were alone.

"They know." Clark explained. "Mom woke me up this morning."

"They know?" Chloe repeated stupidly.

"Yeah." Clark said, then turned and dashed up the stairs. Chloe glanced once more at Martha and Jonathan, then followed.

Once Clark had picked out an outfit for Chloe, he left her to get dressed into jeans, tan leather boots and her choice of red or blue plaid.

She was glad, but also fearful to shed her dressing gown and nightie, but once she had gotten Clark's boxers on, she figured it was smooth sailing from then on.

She zipped up the jeans and selected the red plaid shirt, but caught sight of herself in Clark's large, full length mirror, and found herself putting the shirt down and going to inspect further.

She still had quite a major thing for Clark, and now, she found herself in his body, standing shirtless in his room, with a huge inviting mirror on the wall. All she wanted to do was look. And touch. Maybe touch.

As she stepped in front of the mirror, she felt a flood of emotions.

First of all, she was extremely weirded out to be looking at Clark, who was actually her, and being turned on, so she was actually turning herself on. But there were also secondary emotions, like fear, confusion and worry, but most of all - lust.

She turned from side to side, admiring his six-pack, surprised at the muscularity of Clark's body. It was an impressive physique, for a farm boy.

After a few minutes, she decided that she had to stop, and reluctantly put the shirt on.

Anyone who had been looking in the window just then would have seen Clark staring lustfully into the mirror, pressing his hands against his bare stomach and chest.

_As if I haven't done enough to destroy Clark's reputation already_ Chloe thought, looking guiltily at the pink bathrobe and remembering the awful drive over to the Kent's, and trying to cram Clark's body into her tiny VW.

She glanced one last time, then left the room and trotted downstairs.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Clark breathed a huge sigh of relief when Chloe entered the kitchen, dressed properly in his classic flannel and denim, and not a frill to be seen.

She seated herself beside Clark and, once again, asked the obvious question.

"How did this happen?" She asked, clearing her throat when she heard Clark's voice coming out of her mouth. It just didn't sound right.

"I don't know!" Clark said defensively. "I just woke up this morning like…this." Then a thought struck him. "Oh my god. No one woke you up, did they? Your dad? Or… Lana?"

"No." Chloe answered. "Alarm clock. Fortunately, we have technology in the Sullivan house." She knew it was harsh, but she was scared, stressed and HUNGRY. In fact, she was hungrier than she had ever been in her life. Clark obviously had a much bigger stomach than her, and it was empty. She needed FOOD.

Apparently the Kent's had grown accustomed to the way Clark looked when he was hungry, because Martha slid a plate of blueberry waffles down the table to them.

Chloe gratefully took one and started munching on it hungrily. Clark noticed the familiar look of near panic in his own eyes when he reached for a waffle.

Clark sighed. _She's so petty_ He thought _Can't she see that we have more important problems right now other than her waistline?_

"Chloe, did you…do…anything that might have caused this?" He asked, breaking the silence.

"No, um, I uh, don't think…" Chloe mumbled through a mouthful of waffle. "I mean, who's to know what caused this?"

"Well, most of the bizarre occurrences that happen in Smallville are connected to the meteor rocks," Clark said, careful not to say kryptonite. "Maybe that would be somewhere to start?"

There was a few seconds silence, and they both knew they were thinking the same thing. Finally, it was Chloe who spoke.

"I'm not exactly desperate to go out in public like this," She started. "But maybe we should head over to the _Torch_?"

"Yeah," Clark agreed. "Yeah, we should." He picked up his coat and keys off the counter, but then remembered and passed them to Chloe.

"Uh, here." He said. 'You'll be needing these."

Martha stood up from the kitchen table and cleared her throat.

"Clark?" She said.

Clark turned back to Chloe. He held up the right key on his key ring.

"Warm up the truck." He said. "I'll be right out."

Chloe exited the Kent's house, and Clark turned to face his parents.

"Clark, I want you to be very careful what you tell her." Martha warned.

"Yes, son, remember, if she has your body, she also has your abilities." Jonathan added. 'What you have to o is keep her from discovering them until you can find a way to switch back."

"Dad, that might not be so easy." Clark argued.

"Well, you're just gonna have to figure out a way to do it then!" Jonathan snapped. "Now, I don't want to generalize, but Chloe's a reporter, and you and I know from experience, not the most trustworthy person you'll meet!"

Clark forced a smile. His dad's words bringing back the memories of last year, when Lionel had hired Chloe to investigate him.

"Yeah." Clark said, picking up the denim jacket off the counter that Martha had lent him, and walked out to the truck waiting in the driveway.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The first hour of research at the _Torch_ was painfully uneventful. They had shed no light at all on the possible solution to their problem, although they were starting to feel slightly more comfortable as each other.

Suddenly, Chloe stepped back from the filing cabinet she was looking in, holding and old _Torch_ article in her hands.

"Oh my god!" She said. "I can't believe I didn't remember this!"

"What is it?" Clark asked, looking up from the monitor.

"Look at this." She said, passing him the article.

The photo was of a teenage boy, standing on a table in the school cafeteria, waving his arms about, and apparently shouting something. The headline read; 'Boy causes riot; claims alias.'

"Remember Trey Thompson?" She asked. "He was my 'orientation buddy' in freshman year until he got expelled for causing a riot in the cafeteria. He went nuts, like he just suddenly lost it or something, screaming that he was some guy called Roy Barker."

"I know that guy." Clark said. "He graduated a few years back."

"Yes, but at the time he was a senior." Chloe said. "Here. At Smallville High."

"Well, was he in the cafeteria when Trey went crazy?" Clark asked, now intrigued.

"That's the thing." She continued. "He'd taken a sick day. No one saw much of him after that."

"That's it, Chloe!" Clark said, excited. "That's exactly what we're dealing with!" He hadn't expected a lead to come so easily.

"They do share some uncanny similarities." Chloe agreed, scanning the article over one more time, then put it down on the desk. "Ok, run a full background check on Trey. Try and find out where he lives now, or at least where he works."

"What are you gonna do?" Clark asked, brining up the search page.

Chloe looked guilty.

"You'd hate me if I told you." She said, but she didn't need to tell him. Clark glanced at his watch. 11.30. By now, Chloe would already be halfway through he second coffee.

"No!" Clark said firmly. "You can't go to the Talon! Not like that."

"Clark, don't worry, I'll be back in five." She said, starting out the door. The need for caffeine outweighed her discomfort as Clark. "Anyway," She called after he as she left. "It's Lana's day off."

Clark opened his moth to argue further, but she was already gone.

"Clark! What'll it be today?"

"Lana!" Chloe exclaimed. "I thought it was your day off!"

'Well, it was, but one of the waitresses called in sick." Lana replied.

"Oh. Right." Chloe said. Clark was going to be so mad! "Uh, I'll have a double espresso with cream and a shot of caramel to go."

"Hmm, the Chloe special." Lana noted. "She making you work at the _Torch_ during the holidays?"

"Uh, yeah, she sent me on a coffee run." Chloe said, but was reminded of Clark by Lana's comment and thought she had better get him something to make up for coming to the Talon in his body. "Uh, and I'll also have… my usual?" Chloe had no idea what sort of coffee Clark drank, but she certainly hoped he had a usual.

"Sure." Lana said, smiling, and added it to her notepad. Chloe breathed a sigh of relief.

"So," Lana continued as she started preparing the drinks. "I hear tell that you were seen driving down Lamprey Crescent this morning, in a red VW, and a pink dress?"

Chloe choked on her breath. _It was a bathrobe! _She was really in trouble now. _Remember _She told herself _Think 'Clark'. Stay vague. _

"Uh, I, umm… who told you that?" She asked.

"Oh, about four freshmen, two seniors, a traveling salesman and a little old lady who was walking her poodle at the time."

Chloe gulped. She hadn't realized there had been so many eye-witnesses.

"Well, you know how rumors can get blown out of proportion." She said, sounding less than convincing.

"Right." Lana said, giggling a little, and handing over the drinks. "Uhh, shall I just put it on your tab?

"Yeah, sure." Chloe said, feeling guilty for the billionth time that day. She was now using his body _and_ his credit, but she reassured herself by remembering that the body-switch wasn't intentional, on her or Clark's part anyway.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Clark quickly minimized the search page when Pete came bounding into the office.

"Hey, Pete." He said. "What's up?"

"Um, you wanted me to drop by today." Pete replied. "Remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Clark said. "Uh, how could I forget?"

"So uh, what do you need me for?" Pete asked, a small smirk on his face.

"Uh, well, you know…" Clark stammered. "Just, um… company."

"Are you serious!" Pete shouted, staring at Clark angrily. "You called me away from my brothers wedding for company?"

"What?" Clark said, shocked. "Pete, I didn't… I mean, if I knew…"

Pete cracked up laughing.

"Relax, Chloe." He said. "I've been getting people with that all day."

Clark let out a shaky little laugh.

"Yeah, well you got me." He said.

"Chloe, there is a reason I came here today other than to terrify you with my cheesy humor." Pete started.

"What is it, Pete?" Clark asked.

"It's Clark." He continued. "He told me his secret a while back, and it's killing me to keep it."

Clark held his breath at the mention of his name.

"Uh, well, have you tried talking to him?" He asked. "Does he know how you feel?"

"No, but it doesn't matter, coz I've already made up my mind." Pete said. " I have to tell someone. And I'm not one to mess with true love, whatever that is, so Lana's off my list. So, Chloe, I have to tell you."

"No, Pete, you can't do that to Clark, he's your best friend!" He's been loyal to you, and kept all your secrets, and this is how you repay him? I can't believe you would do that!" Clark said, rushing his words and hyperventilating just a little.

And for the second time in less than ten minutes, Pete cracked up in hysterics.

"Relax, man." He said, clapping Clark on the back. "I know it's you."

Clark stopped hyperventilating; in fact, he thought he stopped breathing altogether.

"What?" He asked, shocked.

"I know your probably gonna throw me out one of the top story windows now," Pete said. "but it will be worth it for the look on your face just then."

"H - H - How did you know?" Clark stammered.

"Well, I heard about your little joyride courtesy of Chloe's VW, in the princess outfit -" Pete started

"It was Chloe and it was a bathrobe." Clark interrupted.

"And the fact that Chloe didn't call me in here today at all," Pete continued as if he hadn't heard him. "And I already got her about a hundred times with that 'brothers wedding' thing."

"Hmm," Clark said, once the shock had started to wear off. "Perhaps you're more investigative reporter' than you care to let on."

"Yeah." Pete said. "Plus, I, uh, heard you and Chloe talking earlier."

"Oh," Clark said, smiling. "Maybe not then." _There goes good old Pete _Clark thought_ Joking around at the most inappropriate of times. _

Pete grinned.

"I can't believe you're so cool with this." Clark remarked.

"Hey, you've trusted me with your secrets before." Pete said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Clark smiled. It was great to have a friend as understanding as Pete.

"So, I really freaked you out, huh?" Pete asked.

"That was NOT funny!" Clark complained, but couldn't help grinning just a little.

"But you know I would never -" Pete started, suddenly serious.

"I know, Pete." Clark cut him off. "You're a good friend."

They both spun around when the door swung open.

"Hey, Clark, here is your coffee. I don't know what it is, but apparently -" Chloe walked into the _Torch_ office, then stopped, spotting Pete.

"Pete, uh, hey…" She stammered, caught off-guard. "I, uh -"

"It's ok. He heard us talking before." Clark explained simply.

"So he knows too?" Chloe asked, annoyed.

"Too?" Pete asked.

"Clark's parents found him this morning." Chloe explained. Pete whistled.

"Man. That's gotta be tough." He said. "I'll bet they're freaking out."

"Not as bad as you'd think." Clark said. "My dad was pretty shocked at first, and my Mom cried, but… they're getting over it."

There was a few seconds awkward silence, then Chloe pulled some money out of her purse.

"Um, here Clark, the $7.50 I owe you." She said. "I had to put the coffees on your tab."

"Ok." Clark said, distracted by something on the screen. Chloe noticed his distraction.

"So you ran the background check?" She asked.

"Yeah." Clark replied.

"And?" Chloe asked, setting her keys and coffee down on the desk.

"Trey Thompson, if it really is him, lives near the outskirts of Metropolis." Clark started. "He works at a place called Bernie's Auto Electrical. He's 21 ad is neither dating nor married, but he shares a one bedroom flat with his Doberman, Russell."

"Hmm, a house calls out then." Chloe commented. "How did you find out the name of his dog?"

"It said so on his MSN profile." Clark replied. "Anyway, he'll be at work today. If we left straight away, we could get there by 2.30 if we're lucky."

"Uhhh… Clark, do you mind if I sit this one out?" Chloe asked, hoping he wouldn't get annoyed. "There's… something I have to do."

"Sure, Chloe." Clark said. He was actually glad she wasn't coming. It would lighten the burden and hassle of secrecy.

"Thanks Clark." She said gratefully, surprised he was so fine with it. "So are you gonna leave straight away?"

"Yeah." He said, standing up from the computer, turning it off as he did so. "No use wasting time."

"Let me come with you." Pete said, jumping off the desk he had sitting on.

"Pete, um, maybe I should go alone." Clark said, reluctant to let Pete tag along.

"Come on, man." Pete pressed. "You're gonna need a ride anyway. Chloe needs the truck, and I didn't see her beetle in the parking lot, so either I'm taking you, or you're walking."

Clark picked up a hint of humor in Pete's voice as they shared the inside joke. Although, Clark, of course, couldn't travel to Metropolis on foot anymore, not while he was in Chloe's body anyway. Clark sighed.

"Ok, Pete. You can come." He said. "You'll be good company, I guess."

"Great." Pete said, digging his keys out of his pocket. "We'll see you round, Chloe." But he felt a little tingle go up his spine as he said it. It just didn't seem right calling him 'Chloe'. Hopefully he wouldn't have to get used to it.

Clark noticed his friend's discomfort, so quickly led the way out of the _Torch_ office and into the parking lot.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Chloe raised Clark's giant fist and knocked on the Kent's front door. It was answered a few seconds later by Martha.

"Clark?" She asked, a glint of hope in her eyes.

"I'm afraid not." Chloe said. "I'm sorry. Can I come in?"

"Of course." Martha said, disappointed, but stepped aside to let her pass. "Um, how are you feeling?"

"Big." Chloe answered, realizing too late how dumb that sounded.

"That's understandable." Martha agreed, closing the door behind them. "So, um, what can I do for you?"

"I - I wanted to apologize. For earlier." She said.

"Oh, Chloe." Martha started. "That's, um, it's quite alri-"

"No." Chloe said, cutting her off. "I know this can't be easy, and I also know I didn't make it any easier showing up here. In much less than Clark's usual attire."

"Oh, Chloe. Don't do this." Martha said. "It's not your fault. What were you supposed to do? Wait until your room until somebody found you? You did what anyone would have done."

Chloe smiled.

"Thank you Mrs. Kent." She said, then there was a pause.

"Um, would you like some lemonade?" Martha asked, quickly changing the subject. "I made it only last night."

"Yes please." Chloe said. "I've been dying for something to drink all day. Well, you know. That isn't dominated by caffeine."

Martha smiled.

"I know the feeling." She said, pouring the drinks. She sat down at the table, motioning for Chloe to sit too. "Um, Chloe, can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Chloe said.

"How did you get out of the house this morning without anyone seeing you?" Martha asked. She had been dying of curiosity.

Chloe smiled.

"I climbed out my window." She said. "There's a tree just within reach that I've been using to sneak out since I was fourteen. I won't be using it for a while though."

"What do you mean?" Martha asked.

"Well, I was too scared at the time to think, but I didn't realize that Clark is much heavier than I am." She explained. "The branch broke, and I, er, fell out of the tree." She blushed, a little embarrassed.

"Oh, Chloe, are you alright?" Martha asked, realizing it was a silly question, and regretting it as soon as it left her mouth.

"Yeah. It was strange. I barely felt it at all." Chloe continued. "It was just the adrenaline, I guess."

Martha smiled. The adrenaline. One of Clark's favorite excuses. Which reminded her.

"Chloe," She said. "Where is Clark?"

"He went to Metropolis with Pete." Chloe replied. "They're tracking down a guy we think can help us."

Martha wasn't surprised that Pete knew. It was likely, and probably even helpful, that someone who knew Clark's secret knew about this too.

"And you think this man will be able to tell you how to switch back?" She asked.

"Well, a few years back, when he was a senior at Smallville High, he claimed to have the same thing happen to him." Chloe explained. "The problem was, the guy who he said he switched with, disappeared without a trace."

"Oh." Martha said. 'Well, I hope he can help you."

"Me too." Chloe agreed. "Not that Clark isn't… great, but you can understand why I don't want to be stuck like this for long."

"Of course." Martha said. "But, you know Chloe. You're handling this so well. I don't know what I would have done in your situation."

"I think you would've handled it well, too, Mrs. Kent." Chloe assured her.

Martha smiled.

"Thank you, Chloe." She said. _Maybe if this doesn't work out, I can adopt Chloe and keep her._ Martha joked to herself, then immediately felt guilty.

Chloe looked at her watch. Well, actually, it was Clark's watch, because they both agreed that it my raise some eyebrows if Clark was seen wearing a pink and silver watch with a fluffy strap. She stood up.

"I really should be going, Mrs. Kent." She said. "Thank you for the lemonade. It was delicious."

"You're welcome, Chloe." Martha said. "And good luck with that guy in Metropolis."

"Thank you." Chloe said, then slipped out the door, and started slowly towards the truck, as Martha clicked the door closed behind her. It was probably just her imagination, but she thought she heard quiet sobs coming from inside the house.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Clark had hoped for the drive to Metropolis to be quiet, and give him a chance to think. But Pete had so many questions, and he was extremely talkative. At one point, he seemed to be just talking to fill the silence, which Clark found he was actually glad of in the end, because awkward silences were not at the top of his to do list, no matter how much thinking he had to do.

It was actually quite funny, for the first hour anyway, how Pete would ask a question, Clark would answer, Pete would ooh and ahh then stress, repeat and assure him that he was completely not freaked out at all, and that he was totally fine with Clark being a girl.

"I'm not a _girl_, Pete." Clark said for the hundredth time. "Chloe's a girl. I'm -"

"Just a guy in a girl's body." Pete finished. "I know. I got it. But you know what I mean."

"Yeah." Clark said. He still didn't like being called a girl, though.

"Look, Clark, I have to know," Pete started. "Have you, checked out Chloe's, er…"

"No!" Clark exclaimed. "Pete, it's Chloe! And she would never do that to me."

"Hmm." Pete said, focusing his attention back on the road. He wasn't so sure.

They did little else on the trip apart from stopping for a late lunch at McDonalds. Clark made Pete promise to keep what he ordered quiet. Chloe would freak, even she was loading his body up with caffeine. Not that it mattered. She could smoke weed and chug gasoline for all he cared. It couldn't hurt him. He just hoped she didn't figure that out. Looking back, it probably wasn't the wisest idea leaving Chloe alone with his body.

Once they finally reached Metropolis, it didn't take them long to locate Bernie's Auto Electrical. Pete pulled the car up outside and they both hopped out.

They spotted him almost straight away, kneeling beside a car, tuning something on the wheel. There was no one else around; it looked like he operated the place on his own.

Clark cleared his throat. Trey turned around.

"Hello." He said in his heavy Irish accent.

"Um, Trey Thompson?" Clark asked.

"If you like." Trey answered. a hint of regret in his voice, standing up and wiping the grease off his hands with a cloth. "What can I do for you?"

"Mr. Thompson, we heard that a few years ago, in your senior year at Smallville High, you caused a riot in the school cafeteria," Clark said. "Claiming that you were somebody else?"

"Well, you heard right." Trey replied. "So have you come to haul me back to Belle Reve, or just provoke me with insinuating questions and accusations?"

"No, Mr. Thompson, it's not like -" Pete started.

"Please, no need for niceties." Trey interrupted. "But if we are on first-name terms, please call me Roy."

"Ok, Roy." Clark said. "We believe you."

Roy stopped.

"You do?" He asked, stunned.

"Every word of it." Pete said.

Roy slowly walked over to a small table and started sipping a glass of water he had on there. Finally, he spoke.

"That would make you the first." He said. "So tell me. Why?"

"We… sort of have the same problem." Clark said.

Roy looked them up and down.

"You're an extremely unfortunate pair." He said. "I almost consider myself lucky."

"Uh, no, not us." Pete said.

"Just, me." Clark said. "And a girl called Chloe Sullivan."

"I thought I recognized you." Roy said with much less sympathy in his voice than Clark had hoped. "She's the editor of the _Torch_, right?"

Clark nodded.

"So who are you really?" Roy asked.

"Clark Kent." He said, extending his hand.

Roy shook it.

"No way!" He said. "The scarecrow? You're the kid who saved that rich guy from drowning!"

"Yeah." Clark said, surprised that people still remembered that. But he was made a little uncomfortable with how lightly Roy was taking this. "And this is my friend, Pete Ross."

"Hey Pete." Roy said, leaning forward and shaking his hand. "So, you drove all the way up from Smallville. What do you need me for?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Clark asked. "We need you to tell us how to switch back."

"What makes you think I would know?" Roy asked.

"Because it's happened to you." Clark replied.

"Not the switching back part." Roy said. "But you're right, I do know how to do it."

"You do?" Clark asked, his heart leaping.

"I do." Roy said.

"Wait." Pete interrupted. "If you know how to switch back, how come you never did it?"

"Check the obituaries. May 15th 2002." Roy said, taking another sip from the glass of water." Roy Barker passed away. Suspected suicide."

"Wow." Clark said. "I, uh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Roy said. "The pressure may have been too much for Trey, but I'd rather live this life any day of the week than switch back into a corpse. I'm not even sure it's possible."

"Roy, can you just tell us how to do it?" Clark asked, hoping he wasn't coming off insensitive.

"Ok, well, first of all, do you have any idea how it happened?" Roy asked.

"Not a clue." Clark said.

"Well, I worked out that what caused my switch was -" Roy looked up when a young blonde guy walked into the garage.

"I'll be with you in one minute." He said, holding up a finger, then led Pete and Clark into his office, closing the door behind them.

"At the time, if you remember, everyone in the school was getting tetanus shots." He continued. "I did some researching and found out that the recent vaccination fluid contained very small amounts of liquid meteor rock, to decrease pain levels or something."

"Like a drug." Pete observed.

"Exactly." Said Roy. "Anyway, they thought it was ok, because, it was a different sort. Only about one in ten thousand had a reaction to it."

"But they must have known that this was going to happen." Clark argued.

"They didn't test it thoroughly enough after they added the meteor rock." Roy explained. "So tell me. What've they been injecting you with?"

"Flu vaccination." Clark said, slowly realizing that Roy was right. It all made sense. Except for one thing. "But a lot of people didn't get it. I didn't."

Clark was careful not to go into the details of why he didn't get it.

"Well, did your friend?" Roy asked.

"I don't know." Clark said, then remembered he could check. He rolled up his sleeve and looked at Chloe's upper arm. There was a tiny scab there, like a pinprick. Clark sighed.

"She got it." He confirmed. "But why me? I had nothing to do with it."

"The way the rock works is, you transfer into the first person you tough after the mineral enters your body." Roy explained. "But it takes a while. You go home that night feeling fine, and then…"

The first person she touched. Had it been him? Clark thought back to the day before.

_Clark stood outside the gymnasium, waiting for Chloe. Neither Pete not Lana were here today, as they had been vaccinated when they were little. Clark had only come along for moral support for Chloe. He had offered to come in, but Chloe had drawn the line at that. _

_The doors swung open, and Chloe came stumbling out, in mock weakness. She grabbed hold of Clark's arm, as if to help her stand. _

"_Oh, Clark! She said, trying not to giggle. "I have been wounded. Wounded! Let me lean upon you, lest I collapse from weakness!" _

'_So it didn't hurt, then?" Clark asked, smiling at Chloe's wacky sense of humor._

"_Nah," Chloe replied, straightening up. "I don't know what I was so worked up about."_

"_Maybe the giant sharp-"_

"_Shut up!" Chloe said, hitting him playfully. "And why, may I ask, did **you** not get it?" _

"_I, uh, have a thing about needles." Clark replied. _

_Chloe faked surprise._

"_Whaddya know?" She said as they started off down the hallway. "Needle boy is teasing me about needles. that would be a first for you, wouldn't it Clark?"_

"Yeah." Clark said. "It _was_ me she touched first."

"Ok, then at least we know that this is going somewhere." Roy answered.

"So what do we have to do?" Clark asked.

"You have to get some of that flu vaccination, and inject yourself with it. Both of you." Roy said.

"But wouldn't that just start this all over again?" Pete asked.

"With this particular mineral," Roy explained. "A second party counter-acts the other."

Clark's heart soared and plummeted at the same time. on one hand, what Roy had just told them sounded ridiculously easy. but on the other hand, not so easy when the girl trapped in your body has no idea that her skin is impenetrable. No needle could pass through it without… aid.

So he had a choice. He could either stay like this forever, him as Chloe, and Chloe as him, who would soon enough discover his abilities anyway. Or he could tell her the truth, and get them back to normal.

The decision seemed obvious.


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Chloe wasn't sure what to do for the rest of the afternoon. Clark and Pete wouldn't be back until that evening. At first she just drove around for a while, but the petrol gage caught her eye, tilting towards the E, and she felt the oh-so familiar rush of guilt flood back, and made a quick decision to head back to the _Torch_. Clark wasn't even using her car! Quickly she reminded herself that she paid him back for the coffee's, and would try to pop out the dent she had put in his reputation. In the meantime, she would just have to keep to herself, and try not to get into any more trouble.

She hung out at the Torch for a few hours, doing nothing in particular; putting the finishing touched on some articles that would be published in the Torch next week, doodling on Paint, and she even got so bored she played a few games of solitaire.

Finally, at 6.30, when neither Pete nor Clark had shown up, she decided she couldn't stay here any longer, and locked up, got into Clark's truck and drove off, with still no idea where she was even going. It was getting dark, which worried Chloe, as she didn't know where she was going to stay that night, either.

Scenario Number One was that she explained to her dad and Lana what had happened to her, and somehow convince them that she was telling the truth, and stayed at her house that night. This was Chloe's least favorite scenario.

Scenario Number Two was that she asked the Kent's is she could stay with them. It was certain that the Kent's would be most accommodating, and probably even act pleased that Chloe was staying with them, but she knew it would be awkward for everyone.

Scenario Number Three was that she borrowed the blankets she had earlier spotted in the back of the truck and bunk down in the _Torch_. It was not preferable, as the blankets looked dirty and itchy, and probably had spiders in them.

But if worse came to worse, then she could always park the truck by the side of the road, and sleep in that, with the heaters on if it was cold.

She sighed and turned around, headed for the Kent's. It wasn't her favorite idea, but it was most likely for success.

It was dark when Pete and Clark finally arrived back from Metropolis.

The trip back had been no quieter than the one there, but it had been Clark doing most of the talking this time.

Pete was strictly against the idea of Clark telling Chloe his secret, but as Clark had patiently explained to him, it would be pretty difficult, if not impossible, to switch back AND keep his secret from Chloe. How would he be able to explain her feeling of extreme weakness when exposed to the meteor rock Clark would have to set on her to give her the injection? How would they even break into the lab where the spare vaccinations were kept without Chloe coming along to break the locks and spring open the steel doors? How would he explain that?

But if he _didn't_ tell her, and they stayed this way forever, then there was no way she couldn't discover the powers anyway.

Finally, even Pete couldn't deny that it was the only way. Then he had been silent, supposedly sulking, until this very minute.

"Hey, Clark! Isn't that your truck?" He asked, as the headlights caught the license plate of a red pickup driving a few meters up the road from them.

Clark studied the number.

"Yep, that's her." He said. "Pull in beside it."

Pete sped up a little to catch up with Chloe, tooting the horn a few times.

Chloe looked out the window, spotting Pete driving along beside her, and felt a little tingle go up her spine upon seeing herself seated next to him, feet up on the dash.

She pulled over, and Pete pulled up beside her.

"Took you long enough." Said Chloe, getting out of the truck and slamming the door behind her. "I was just about to set up camp in the _Torch_."

"Aww, come on Chloe." Clark said. "It's only 7.30."

Chloe noticed that he didn't make any attempts to discourage her from having to sleep in a tiny office under moth-eaten blankets.

"Anyway, what did you find out?" Chloe asked. "Did you find the guy?"

"We found him." Clark answered. "And he told us what to do."

"He did?" Chloe asked, actually giggling in delight. Both Pete and Clark grimaced at this disturbing sight and sound, Clark actually backing away a few paces.

Chloe cleared her throat.

"Sorry." She said, embarrassed. _Now we all know why Clark never giggles_. She thought to herself. "You were saying?"

"Remember yesterday? They held that flu vaccination thing in the school gymnasium." Clark said.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with -" Chloe started, confused.

"The vaccination fluid contained small amounts of liquid meteor rock, for the purpose of decreasing pain levels." Clark explained. "It was a different sort of meteor rock, though, so not many people reacted."

"But I did." Chloe realized, echoing his thoughts. "But what about you? You didn't even get the injection."

"If you do react to the meteor rock, then you swap bodies with the first person you touch." Clark continued. "That's how it woks."

Chloe sighed and stared at her feet. _This is all my fault_. She thought. _Clark had nothing to do with this. It was all me. _

"I know what you're thinking." Clark said, stepping forward and putting a comforting arm around her, trying to disguise his need to stand on tip-toes. "It's no ones fault. No one could've known what would happen."

"But it's not all bad." Pete reminded them. "He told us how to get you back to normal, remember?"

"Yeah." Clark said, cheered by this, but also dreading what he would soon have to do. "It sounds really simple. All we've got to do it inject ourselves again with the vaccination. Apparently a second dosage cancels out the first."

"Well, that's great!" Chloe exclaimed, cheering up immediately. "Easy!"

"We've still got to break into the lab to get the stuff." Clark reminded her.

"Oh." Chloe said, only slightly deflated. "But still, it could've been much worse."

"Yeah." Clark agreed, wondering how to start.

"So should we go tonight?" Chloe asked.

"No." Clark said, glad she had opened up an easy starting point for him. "There's something you have to know first."

"What is it?" Chloe asked.

Clark glanced at Pete.

"Uh, Pete, you could go home now, if you want." He said, not wanting to sound rude. "I'll call you in the morning."

"Sure thing, man." Pete said, hopping back in his car, silently wishing his friend good luck.

A few seconds after Pete departed, Chloe sighed.

"What's going on, Clark?" She asked.

"Chloe, I know this may not be the best time or place to tell you this, but you need to know." Clark started carefully.

"What is it, Clark?" Chloe asked, serious.

"I should have told you this three years ago." Clark said, taking a deep breath. "And now I have to."


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

"What, Clark? You're an alien?" Chloe said, laughing at her own joke.

Clark looked down at his, or rather Chloe's feet, mumbling something Chloe couldn't hear.

"What was that?"

"I said, 'Yes, I'm an alien." Clark answered, without looking up.

"What! Clark I was just joking! I...I had no idea. I mean, how...you...you mind explaining?" _Note to self: next attempt to make joke about aliens, DON'T!_ She thought, not sure whether to believe him.

"Okay. But let me say everything first, no interruptions, ok?"

Chloe nodded, feeling the muscles in Clark's neck ripple. "Go ahead." She said, intrigued, but completely confused.

"Well, it all started with the meteor shower. That was when my ship brought me. My biological parents knew that their planet wasn't safe anymore. And my father, Jor-el, wants me to conquer Earth. But, my mother was just worried that no one would love me." Clark explained, stopping to take a breath.

Chloe's face clouded over in confusion and disbelief, and she looked like she was about to say something, but Clark continued, cutting her off.

"Last year, Dr. Swann contacted me. He had seen the symbol on the barn. It turns out, he had received a message on his satellites. He learned how to read the symbols. They are the same as the ones in the caves. He found out my home planet was called Krypton. Key word being 'was'. It had been destroyed. He also found out my real name; Kal-el. I'm the only surviving person from Krypton." Clark told her, almost crying after saying that last part.

Chloe didn't know what to say. Finally, she found her, or rather, Clark's voice. "You're an alien. An alien from another planet? This is just insane!"

Clark nodded. He knew she'd probably be angry, so he had prepared himself, and decided to allow her to be as angry as she liked. Being in Chloe's body sure has made me emotional. He thought. He cleared Chloe's throat, and said, "There's more."

"More! What more could there possibly be!"

"I have powers. Like the meteor infected people. Only I think I was born with them. I'm strong, super fast, have heat vision, super hearing, and x-ray vision, and my skin is impenetrable."

"You what! Powers?" Chloe yelled in shock. "So what, now I have them?"

"I think so. I mean, I don't have them. But, there is one more thing. The whole reason I'm telling you this is: To reverse this, we both need to get that shot. And since my skin is super tough, we need a little 'help' from my weakness. Kryptonite. It's the real name for the meteor rocks. And the only thing that can hurt me.

"How humongous? Clark, how bad is this going to hurt me?" Chloe asked, before putting her personal problems aside, and remembering that she was mad at Clark. "I can't believe you kept this from me! How could you? We were friends!"

"We still are! Chloe, this doesn't change who I am," Clark said. "If it helps, these feelings are completely normal. This is exactly how Pete reacted when I told him, and -"

"You told Pete?" Chloe asked in disbelief. "Am I the last one to know?"

"No, Chloe, Lana doesn't know." Clark said. "And she can't find out. Neither does Lex. You, me, Pete and my parents are the only ones who know about me. You have to promise me that, Chloe. You can't tell anyone."

Chloe stared back at Clark, a bundle of emotions swirling around under the steady exterior.

She didn't say a word.


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

It was only ten am, and already Clark had decided that this wasn't turning out to be the best of days.

First of all, Chloe was still a little in shock from Clark's confession the previous night. Even though she dealt with stuff like this every day, it was completely different when it was your best friend.

She had had the whole night to think about it, and it seems her conversations with him were now progressing past the four-letter-word stage, and the lengths were definitely increasing. His own voice was also decreasing in decibels when she spoke to him. Clark had never realized it before, but he was very scary when he yelled.

Second, the dry spell had finally passed, and it was raining heavily outside, beating against the windows.

Third, they were both hunkered down in the tiny _Torch_ office, because after Clark told her his secret, she was very (and understandably) wound up. His parents had suffered enough stress that day, and Chloe had been saying some things that they had never heard their son say before. It wouldn't be fair to take her home like that.

And as if all that wasn't enough, Clark had woken up that morning feeling a little crampy and bloated. He wasn't 100 certain what that meant, but he had enough general knowledge of the fairer sex to know that it didn't signal the coming of something he much wanted to experience.

He turned to Chloe, who was seated on the bench along one of the walls.

"You know you can ask me anything." He said. "Anything you want to know."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Chloe asked.

"I wanted to." Clark said. "But I was scared."

"Too scared to tell your best friend the truth?" She asked icily.

"Chloe, you have to understand," Clark argued. "This is a really big secret. I had to consider -"

"You told Pete." Chloe interrupted.

"I didn't have a choice!" Clark said defensively. "He was gonna tell the whole world about the spaceship."

Chloe sighed. She was fighting a losing battle, because, deep down, she knew Clark was right. It was a huge, enormous thing, and if it was her in Clark's position, she probably would have done the same thing. But now it was, and she was totally freaked out.

"Chloe, I know this is difficult, but if we want to get back into our own bodies, then we have to put our personal problems aside, and work together." Clark said. Chloe grunted in response.

"If we're gonna break into the lab tonight, I was thinking first we could go back to my place and get some fresh clothes," Clark continued. "Then I could spend the rest of the day teaching you how to use my abilities, so there are no mistakes tonight."

Another grunt from Chloe.

Clark sighed and scanned the room for anything that might strike inspiration as to how to convince her to go.

His gaze landed on the empty coffee cups from the day before, that still hadn't been cleared away.

"We can take a coffee break at the Talon?" Clark tried. "I'm buying."

Chloe looked at Clark for a second, as if deciding whether another grunt was in order.

"Fine." She said, getting up and gathering up all the blankets.

Clark smiled _Some things never change_

They entered the Kent kitchen somewhat self consciously. He hadn't seen his parents since they had gone over to the Torch yesterday, and he still didn't feel any more comfortable around them in his present state.

It was almost eleven o'clock when they arrived at the Kent farm. It had taken them a while to leave the Torch, as they had argued over driving privileges. It seemed they needed somewhere to vent their anger and frustration, so they were taking it out on each other. Clark still got a little freaked out when she yelled at him. He wasn't used to being yelled at by someone bigger than he was.

It seemed that Martha and Jonathan were already out in the barn, which Clark and Chloe were very glad of.

Clark dashed upstairs, closely followed by Chloe, and ducked into his room. Everything looked much different from a foot or so lower.

He pulled the closet door open and grabbed out a white t-shirt and a fresh pair of jeans and handed them to Chloe.

Chloe caught sight of Clark's black leather jacket, pushed not quite out of sight in the corner of the wardrobe. It reminded her of the first day he had showed up to school in it. He had been a completely different person, and if she was honest, a complete jerk, but she was surprised to find her thoughts drifting away from Clark's temporary attitude problem, and remembered how hot he had looked in the jacket.

Clark caught her eyeing the jacket. He wasn't even sure why he had kept it. It's not like he would ever wear it again, if he could help it. It was a symbol of his rebellion. He had bought it, courtesy of Martha and Jonathan's credit card, when the farm was already in debt. Perhaps it was because there was a little part that didn't want to forget what it felt like to be completely free, with no guilts or inhibitions holding him back. In any case, it was the only thing he hadn't returned from his impromptu shopping spree.

He grabbed the jacket and passed it to Chloe.

"Here." he said reluctantly. He wasn't keen to see himself in it again. It would bring back too many bad memories, but he didn't want to start fighting with Chloe again. "Knock yourself out."

Chloe grinned and added it to her small pile of clothes as Clark left her to get dressed.

She deliberately faced away from the mirror this time, after what Clark had told her about heat vision. She didn't want to set Clark's house on fire, no matter how hot he was.

Chloe smiled at her private joke. A pun. She had made a pun. Maybe things were getting better then.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Clark rolled up the window as the rain got heavier. Lightning streaked across the sky, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Wow, this really isn't letting up." He said from the passenger's seat.

"Yeah, that's crazy Kansas weather for you." Chloe replied, flicking the wind-shield wipers up another notch.

"I hope it doesn't get any worse." Clark said. This comment was greeted with a stony silence from Chloe. Best not to tempt fate, as in Kansas, worse usually meant twisters.

"Anyway," He said, breaking the silence. "Now that we're both properly clothed, I was thinking the best place to teach you about these powers would be the caves. It's sheltered, at least."

Chloe sighed and turned down a side-road for a short-cut to the caves.

"Clark, I do have one more question." She started.

'Shoot."

"Well, I've been thinking. You told me that meteor rocks make you sick. But then I remembered that there is more than one sort. They used the red meteor rock in the class rings." Chloe said, stopping for breath. "So, I realized that the day you bought your class ring was also the day you started acting really strange. Were they… connected?"

"The red meteor rocks affect my brain, instead of my body." Clark explained. 'It makes me do things I wouldn't normally do. You might remember Metropolis."

"Of course! You were wearing your class ring!" Chloe said in slow realization. She thought back to the day she had gone to visit him. She could hear the voices in her head as clearly as if she were listening to them on tape. '_I've erased Smallville from my past.' 'Really? Is that why you're still wearing your school ring?' _

"Chloe, you might want to put your journalistic impulses aside for a moment here." Clark said, sounding a little hurt.

"Sorry." Chloe apologized. "Old habit."

"It's ok." Clark assured her. "I never got the chance to say, just, I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Chloe was silent for a few seconds as she processed this belated and much awaited apology. Clark had been so scary. It had seemed like his eyes were practically on fire. _'Clark, you were not forced into exile. You ran away from your problems. You are not being noble, you're being a coward!' _

'_Chloe, get out! If you tell anyone where I am, I'll go so far away from Metropolis that no one will ever find me!' _

It was as if he was a whole different person. But now she understood.

"Don't worry about it, Clark." She said finally. "You weren't yourself."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes until they reached the caves. The main chamber was large. Large enough to practice most of his abilities. Strength, x-ray vision, hearing. Heat vision was not a good idea down here; there were most likely traces of flammable gasses left over from the Luthorcorp excavation. And the chamber was big, but not big enough to practice speed, without running through a wall or something. They'd better hope the storm let up, or that they found another area to practice, or they would probably have to go back to the farm. Not on the top of Clark's to do list.

"Okay, so, you gonna show me how to work this thing?" Chloe asked, breaking the long silence.

"Well, if anyone comes along while we're breaking in, you'll be able to see and hear them." Clark started, feeling oddly like a school teacher teaching a wildly inappropriate lesson. "I'm gonna teach you how to use x-ray vision first."

"Ok…" Chloe said, looking slightly nervous and apprehensive. Clark picked up on this and sighed.

"It's not gonna hurt, Chloe." He said.

"Uhh… of course not." Chloe said, regaining her composure. "Go on then"

"Ok, umm…" Clark said, looking around for inspiration. He spotted a small bulge in Chloe's pocket. "Check your pocket. I think I left a pen in there."

Sure enough, Chloe reached in and pulled out a blue ball point pen. Clark leaned forward and took it, and, without showing Chloe, wrote the number 81 on the palm of his hand. He held it up, facing away from her.

"Try to see _through_ it." He said.

Chloe squinted until his eyes were almost shut. Through his hand. _Through_ his hand. It seemed impossible. But slowly, slowly, everything else started to fade, and the number 18 became visible on the inside of Clark's palm. 81, if she turned it around the right way. She unfocused her eyes and turned to Clark, her face lighting up. This was incredible.

And thus continued Chloe's training. Nearly four hours had passed by the time they emerged from the cave, having learnt x-ray vision and super hearing. Chloe had also lifted enough heavy stuff so she didn't freak out and drop it.

They ran through the pouring rain back to the truck. The rain had gotten heavier still, if that was possible, and once they had run the only eight feet to where the truck was parked, they were already drenched.

It was only 2.30, but the rain clouds made it look dark enough to be late evening.

"How do you feel?" Clark asked as they piled into the truck.

"Exhausted." Chloe replied, turning the key in the ignition and pulling away from the caves. "How's about that coffee break at the Talon that you promised?"

"Sure." Clark answered. They had both worked really hard, Clark couldn't believe she had picked everything up so quickly.

After a failed round of paper, scissors, rock, Clark consented to go in and buy the coffees, He wished he had remembered that Chloe always did paper.

As he entered the Talon, he realized that this was his first time out in public as Chloe. He decided he didn't like it.

"Hey, Chloe!" Lana greeted him from behind the counter. "Crazy weather, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty random." Clark said, doing his best impression of Chloe. 'But hey, that's Smallville for you."

'Don't tell me you've actually been outside?" Lana asked, scanning Clark's saturated clothes and hair.

"I, uh… heh." Clark mumbled. He couldn't very well tell her that he and Chloe had been down in the caves, teaching her how to use his abilities.

Lana frowned.

"Chloe, are you ok?" She asked. "It's like I haven't seen you at all for the past few days. You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were avoiding me."

"No, Lana, it's just…" Clark quickly tried to come up with a clever lie. "Um, the Torch has been really behind lately. I've been swamped."

"So swamped that you don't even bother coming home?" Lana asked, incredulous.

Clark shrugged.

"So I pulled an all-nighter. It's not like I haven't done it before."

"You didn't even leave a note." Lana said. "Your dad was really worried."

"Well, tell him I'm really sorry, but right now, I need two white chocolate mochas, then I have somewhere to be." Clark said, hoping that he wasn't coming off rude. He quickly checked the time on the modern, black and silver clock on the wall of the Talon. A quarter to five. It got dark around seven at this time of the year, and taking into account the bad weather, probably a little earlier. But, just to ensure their success, it was probably better to be earlier rather than later. Around ten would be good. So that gave them a little over five hours to prepare.

Lana handed him the drinks, and took his money.

"Well, I might see you around then." She said flatly.

"I hope so." Clark replied, adding discreetly to himself_; More than you know._ then turned and hurried out of the coffee house, before he gave anything away.

He climbed into the truck, freshly soaked, and put Chloe's coffee in the drink holder. He sighed and wrapped her freezing hands around the warm paper cup.

"You'd better appreciate this."


	12. Chapter Eleven

IV

Chapter Eleven - Redemption

Tempers were running high, and nerves were being tested as ten o'clock drew nearer. Breaking into the lab and stealing the vaccinations would normally have been a breeze for Clark, but he felt completely vulnerable in Chloe's body, and, although he wanted to trust her, he wasn't 100 sure she could pull it off.

They had gone back to the Kent Farm from the Talon, to practice speed and heat vision. Martha and Jonathan had discovered them after about half an hour, and had been told what had happened. They were upset at first, but after having the situation explained to them, even stubborn Jonathan couldn't argue the fact that telling Chloe was necessary, unless they wanted to trade their son for a daughter.

Finally, Clark decided they couldn't put it off any longer, and picked up their bag that had all their essentials in it; flashlight, rope, but most importantly, a lead-lined box containing Clark's least favorite mineral.

"C'mon." He said to Chloe. "It's now or never."

"Yeah, ok." Chloe said, taking a deep breath. "I'm ready."

Jonathan looked up from where he and Martha were seated at the table.

"You're off then?" He asked, accidentally turning towards Chloe.

"Yeah." Clark said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"Clark, I want you to be careful." Jonathan said, feeling very strange to be talking to Chloe's body. "I know that this must be so hard for you, and I'm sure I didn't make matters any easier by freaking out. I know you need out support, and I just wanted to let you know that you have it, every step of the way. Son."

Clark smiled.

"Thanks dad." He said. "That means a lot."

Chloe grabbed the lock in Clark's huge hand and wrenched it downwards. It crumbled into dust, the back door of the lab swinging open.

"Good Job, Chloe." Clark congratulated her. Although this was the easy part.

They entered the lab and closed the door behind them.

It would have been completely dark were it not for the soft blue lights, illuminating the different experiments. It gave an eerie glow to the already unnerving room.

There didn't seem to be anything of much use in this part of the lab, so they pulled open the heavy door, and started down a long hallway, also eerily lit with blue lights, the glow bouncing off the polished steel walls, floor and ceiling.

After about ten minutes of searching down side hallways and slightly promising-looking rooms, Clark spotted a door that displayed the sign 'Vaccinations and Disease Research. Authorized Personnel Only.'

"Hey, Chloe. I think I found it!" He said quietly.

When she didn't reply, he turned around.

"Chloe?" He asked, but she was nowhere in sight. "Oh shit!"

He didn't know where she had gone, but he decided to get the shots, _then_ find her.

He opened the door with a creak. The room was, so far, the only one not lit with a ghostly blue glow. Clark clicked the flashlight on, and shone it around the room.

The beam caught a large metal freezer laying on its back on the other side of the room.

_Bingo_. he thought, making his way over to it.

He held the flashlight between his teeth so he could use both hands to lift the heavy lid. He wasn't used to not being able to easily lift things with one hand.

The lid slowly opened, and cold blue mist seeped out. Clark waved his hand around to try and clear the fog drifting out of the freezer.

Slowly, a shape became visible. Clark squinted. He couldn't quite make it out, but the mist kept getting thinner and thinner until -

Clark let out an involuntary shriek, the flashlight falling out of his mouth and clattering to the floor, going dead.

"That's one helluva scream you've got there." A voice said behind him, causing him to spin around.

"Who's there?" Clark called out, Chloe's voice shaky, making him sound a lot more frightened than he cared to let on.

The knowledge of the previously unknown presence was made more daunting and ominous due to the lack of light, apart from the blue-tinted smoke filling the room with a ghostly demeanor.

"Surely you can guess." The man said in a heavy Irish accent.

"Roy." Clark gasped, looking from his shadowy form to the freezer, making the connection. "You killed him."

"It's better this way." Roy said coldly.

"You're sick." Clark said. "You need help."

"No, Clark, don't you see?" Roy asked, walking right up to Clark, shoving his face down close to hers. His breath stank of alcohol. "You have been given an amazing opportunity. You can leave your old life behind, start fresh! You'll never have to stack another bale of hay again!"

As Roy continued talking, Clark caught sight of something behind him. The shots. They were on a shelf, about one meter back and to the right of him. Clark decided not to let on that he had spotted them. He fixed his eyes back on Roy.

"That's not for you to decide for me." He said.

"He's right, Clark." Clark heard his own voice from the shadows, causing him to spin around again.

"Chloe!" He said. "Where were you? Wait, what are you talking about?"

His own body stepped forward out of the shadows, giving him a little chill. Chloe had a strange look on his face.

"I can do things I've never even dreamed of." Chloe said. "Listen to him. he's right. It's better this way."

"Chloe, what's wrong with you?" Clark asked, then turned to Roy. "What did you do to her?" He screamed at him, although he had a dreadful feeling he already knew. He recognized the arrogant, self-assured expression on his face and the tone in his voice.

Sure enough, on his finger was a red kryptonite class ring, glinting as the blue light hit it.

"Where did you get that?" He asked Roy.

"I have friends in high places." He replied simply.

Clark turned back to Chloe.

"Chloe, you have to take that off." Clark begged her. "This isn't you."

"It's more me than I've ever been!" Chloe argued, taking a few steps towards him. "I can do anything I want, I can… have, anything I want." She moved her hand towards his face and started running her fingers through her hair. "This is the real me."

"No, Chloe, it's not!" Clark shouted, slapping his own hand away. "It's the ring, not you! Trust me, I've been there!"

"Then you know how great it feels." Chloe replied, staring defiantly at Clark.

Clark lowered his head.

"I do." He said, slowly reaching into his shoulder bag, searching around with his hand, careful to keep Chloe's eye's fixed on his own. "But it made me do thing's I never wanted to do, and still regret to this day. It made me into someone I never wanted to be."

Chloe rolled his eyes.

"Well, that was very touching Clark, " She said sarcastically. "But I'm afraid we must be going. Screw you."

Finally, Clark's fingers closed around the item he had been looking for, and his hand shot out of the bag, shoving the meteor rock at Chloe.

She screamed and his knees bucked, sending her crashing into a display of test-tubes., his skin taking on a sickly green hue as she fell to the ground.

Roy roared and launched himself at Clark, but he ducked out of the way, and he crashed into the table as well. He seemed to be unconscious.

Seizing his chance, Clark dropped the meteor rock beside Chloe and dashed over to the shelf holding the shots. They were labeled. They were the ones.

He snatched up two, and ran back to where Chloe lay, writhing on the floor.

He pulled the red kryptonite ring off his finger and chucked it behind a set of drawers, then he plunged the needle into Chloe's upper arm, and the same with his own, barely even noticing the pain due to all the adrenaline pumping through his body, despite his fear of needles.

Once the needles had released all the fluid into their bloodstreams, Clark pulled them out, and threw them across the other side of the lab.

Panting, he grabbed the meteor rock and placed it back in the lead box, hands shaking.

Chloe stopped writhing, and carefully sat up, out of breath.

"Oh my god, Clark, I'm so sorry!" Chloe gasped, covering his mouth with his hand, remembering what she had done. "He gave me red meteor rock, you know I don't feel that way, you know I want to switch back as bad as you do."

"I know, Chloe." Clark assured her. "Red meteor rock has that effect on me."

Chloe suddenly realized that they had been injected, and touched her chest. It was still flat.

"I don't feel any different." She said.

"I think it'll take a while to kick in." Clark said. "Y'know, like the first time."

"I hope you're right." Chloe said, standing up. Clark joined her.

They looked around at the trashed lab, and Roy unconscious on the floor. After what he did, they hardly felt guilty leaving him with the blame and the mess, but Clark couldn't help reaching out to pick up a toppled-over beaker as they quietly slipped out the door.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Martha jumped up from her seat and rushed over as Chloe and Clark entered.

"Clark?" She asked Chloe in desperation, close to tears.

"We think it will take a little while to kick in." Clark said, calling her attention to her short, blonde 'son', standing across the other side of the room.

"Oh." Martha managed to utter, deflated and fighting to stay calm, sinking back into her chair.

"It's ok." Chloe tried to reassure the two Kents. "We didn't expect it to work immediately, anyway."

"Of course not." Jonathan said, trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

Martha quickly changed the subject.

"Would anyone like a hot chocolate?" She asked, walking over to the sink.

"That sounds great, Mrs. Kent." Chloe said, seating herself in the empty seat beside Jonathan.

"Yeah, thanks, Mom."

"Jonathan?" Martha asked.

"Sure." He answered half-heartedly, lost in his own thoughts.

No one saw Chloe's face cloud with discomfort, as Clark clutched her stomach, starting to feel strange.

It wasn't long before the drinks had been distributed, and all were sipping contentedly, or at least trying to make it look that way. Clark's discomfort had slowly increased in the last thirty minutes. He felt… tight, and he was sure the dainty little hands wrapped around his mug were larger than they had been a half an hour ago. It would have been a joyous discovery, had it not been so uncomfortable.

He shifted his weight around in the seat, trying to find a comfy position, when all of a sudden the discomfort turned to severe pain, and he leaned forward involuntarily, bracing his arm against the table, trying to subdue the ruthless pain shooting through his body.

"Clark?" Chloe asked, placing her mug down. "Are you alright?

"I think something's happening." He panted.

Chloe gasped and Martha and Jonathan's heads shot up when they heard their son's voice emanating from Chloe's mouth.

Suddenly Chloe let out a small, high-pitched moan, and doubled over.

Clark saw her, and heard the difference in their voices, but paid little attention. He was vaguely aware of slipping off his stool and tumbling to the floor, but the pain in his belly was intensifying by the minute, and spreading outwards until his whole body felt as if it were on fire.

There was another sensation too. The best way to describe it would be 'stretching'. He could feel his bones and muscles stretching and his skin had to stretch to accommodate all the extra mass.

Then the pain moved to his face. His features felt as if they were shifting around. The pain was agonizing. He had never experienced pain this severe. Not even around the meteor rocks.

And just as suddenly as the pain started, it stopped.

Clark lay motionless on the ground for a few seconds incase it returned. When it didn't, he cautiously released the tension from his body, and glanced around. he was sweating. His parent's were knelt down beside him, staring, mouths agape. His body felt bigger, he could tell straight away.

He lifted his head slightly, and tried to a glimpse of himself.

Despite the fact that he had just felt as if he was being torn apart and stapled back together, he couldn't help his face breaking into a huge grin when he saw his own chest with Chloe's red blouse stretched tightly across it.

He cautiously propped himself up on his elbows, and looked around.

His parents couldn't contain themselves any longer, and threw their arms around him in unison.

"Clark! Oh, thank God!" Martha sobbed into his shoulder, Jonathan even shedding a secret tear. They acted as if he nearly died, and heck, it probably looked as if he had.

But he didn't hold it against them; he himself couldn't have been happier. He wanted to run to a mirror and just stare at his reflection for hours, it felt so good to be in his own body!

Chloe let out a small moan, calling all three Kents attention over to the other side of the kitchen, where Chloe had collapsed.

"Chloe!" Clark forced himself up off the floor, the last few remaining buttons popping off Chloe's blouse as he did so.

He awkwardly tried to make his way over to Chloe as quickly as he could while wearing girls jeans several sizes too small.

He crouched/sat/fell down beside her, and checked he for bruises. She lay not-quite motionless, dressed in a white t-shirt, black leather jacket, and large jeans. She didn't look good. She was very pale, and her breathing was shallow and raspy.

"Chloe." He repeated, trying desperately to get her to open her eyes. "It worked! We switched back."

Chloe didn't move.

"Please… say something." Clark almost moaned.

Slowly, Chloe's eyelids fluttered open, and she coughed a few times. When she recovered, her eyes scanned his body, snug in her jeans and blouse, and she smiled, managing to croak sarcastically;

"Looking good, Clark. Red is _so_ your color."


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue

Clark opened the door of Chloe's room at Smallville Med Centre, and poked his head in. He was glad to see that she was sitting up in bed, reading. When she spotted him, she smiled and marked her page with a bookmark, gesturing for him to come in. She was looking just a tiny bit chubby, Clark noted guiltily.

"I took a chance you might be here." He joked.

"Shut up." Chloe said in mock annoyance, throwing a gum wrapper at him.

Clark grinned and entered her room, closing the door behind him.

"Aww, so you're back to flannel." Chloe joked. "And I thought that blouse was so you."

"Ha ha." Clark said sarcastically, seating himself at the end of her bed.

There was a short awkward silence, before it was broken by Chloe.

"So, have you heard any word on Roy?"

"He was admitted to Belle Reve earlier this morning." Clark answered, glad for something to talk about rather than what they had both just been through. "A scientist found him passed out in the lab. Looks like we just missed him."

"Hmm, lucky." Chloe said. "You know, there's something I'll never get."

"What's that?" Clark asked

"If Roy was so sure that things were better this way," Chloe started. "Even so much as to think he could decide for us too, why did he tell us how to switch back?"

"Well, he was obviously insane, Chloe." Clark replied.

"Yeah…" Chloe said, not entirely convinced. "So, am I supposed to guess what's in the bag?" She asked, gesturing to the paper bag Clark had brought in with him.

Sheepishly, Clark reached in and pulled out the large pink dressing gown.

"Ah! The offending bathrobe!" Chloe laughed. "I wondered when I'd be seeing it again."

"Yeah, I figured you might be wanting it back." He said. "Plus, it didn't really go with the décor of my room."

Chloe laughed, but Clark was suddenly serious, deciding he couldn't put off what he knew he had to do any longer.

"Chloe, I want you to know, what I told you about me, I didn't only tell you because I had to." He said. "I've wanted to tell you so badly, every day of my life since I met you. And now it terrifies me, because I've been so lucky that you understand, but there's something else I've been less than honest about."

He paused, and looked up at Chloe, who was listening, intent. He continued.

"I've been concealing my feelings for you since day one. I have feelings that… I can't even begin to explain. And Chloe, this isn't easy, believe me. I would rather tell you my secret a hundred times more that let you in on how I honestly feel for you, but I have to, because I want you to know, and I want you to feel the same way for me."

Chloe sat, shocked, and looked as if she were about to say something, but Clark cut her off. He had to say what he needed to say.

"I know this is sudden, but this whole experience has made me realize that anything could go wrong, at any time, to prevent us from being together, and I have to get this out in the open, before something happens that we cant reverse, and I never would have gotten the chance to tell you how much I love you."

Clark almost had tears in his eyes from saying all this, and when he looked up, he saw that Chloe did too.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say those words." She managed to utter.

Clark almost jumped for joy when he realized her response was all he had ever wanted it to be, but managed to retain his composure, and settled for leaning forward and sharing with Chloe a long, passionate kiss.

The End


End file.
